Blinken pledges unwavering US support to Ukraine during surprise visit to Kyiv
- 14 May, 08:59
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Kyiv that the US will stand by Ukraine until its security sovereignty is guaranteed. Blik
made pledged more surprise to Ukraine amid intensified Russian attacks during his unannounced visit to Kyiv.
“I have come to Ukraine with a message: You are not alone,” he said during a speech at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The top US diplomat pledged unwavering US support in his first visit to Ukraine since the Congress passed last month a $61 billion military aid package following a delay of several months during which Russia gained advantage on the battlefield.
During the meeting with Blinken, the Ukrainian President asked for more air defence systems.
“We want to get it as soon as possible, and the second point is air defense, the biggest deficit for us. I think the biggest problem is that we really need today two patriots for the Kharkiv region, because there are people – they are under attack, civilians, warriors, everybody – they are under Russian missiles,” Zelenskiy told reporters. He also asked for two Patriot air defence systems, stressing that they will be needed in the defence of northern Kharkiv region.
Blinken and Zelensky “discussed recent battlefield updates and the importance of newly-arrived U.S. security assistance to helping repel Russian attacks,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a read-out following the meeting. Blinken’s visit comes amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv. Russian troops launched a new large-scale attack on Kharkiv on Friday opening a second front in the war.
